The Whippoorwill Trilogy - Sharon Sala Page 0,225

carry this.” He handed her the deceased’s remains.

Letty put on her coat and clutched the items against her chest as she followed him out the door.

The air was so cold that snot froze on Eulis’s upper lip, and he was thankful for the fur-lined shoes he was wearing. He swiped at his lip with the back of his hand as he slogged through the snow to the lean-to.

The ground was pitted and rough from the mules hooves. Manure in various forms of decomposition lay scattered all around. He kicked at a frozen clump near the gate and then walked inside. The immediate shelter was a welcome relief from the wind.

Eulis thrust the shovel into the ground, grunting slightly when it didn’t give. He moved to a different location and tried again, this time meeting with some success. Finally, he had the hole dug—small, but deep. He turned to Letty.

“The bodies, please.”

She laid the whiskey and the makeup bag down in the hole and stepped back, watching solemnly as Eulis covered them with dirt. Then he set the shovel aside and took off his hat.

“Dearly Beloved… we are gathered here today to—”

Letty hissed and rolled her eyes.

“That’s for weddings,” she muttered.

“I know,” he said softly, and took her by the hand. “As I was sayin’… we are gathered here today for two reasons. Buryin’ what was left of the old Letty Murphy and Eulis Potter, and joinin’ together in holy matrimony, the new man and woman who have come to take their place.”

Letty gawked. Leave it up to Eulis to do something weird, but sweet.

“You never asked me to marry you,” she mumbled.

“Will you?” he asked.

“Yes,” she answered.

“Then hush up and let me finish what I been tryin’ to say.”

Letty bit her lip to keep from spouting off, and tried not to grin. This was certainly nothing like the romantic wedding she’d dreamed of as a girl. Hellsfire, it wasn’t even a wedding. It was supposed to be a funeral of sorts. Eulis, being the frugal kind, had tossed the vows in for free.

Eulis took her by the hand.

“Do you, Leticia Murphy, take this man as your lawful wedded husband?”

“Yes, only I—”

“Now, you ask me,” Eulis countered.

Letty sighed. “But I’m not the preacher.”

He grinned. “And neither am I, so that makes it even.”

She frowned. There was a mistake in that logic somewhere. She just couldn’t put her finger on the spot.

“All right… do you, Eulis Potter, take me as your lawful wedded wife?”

“I sure do,” he said, and then took her by the hands. “By the power I have taken upon myself, I now pronounce us as husband and wife. And God help any fool who tries to put you under.”

“Asunder,” Letty mumbled. “The word is asunder.”

“Whatever,” Eulis said, and kissed her soundly.

Letty found herself kissing him back.

A blanket of snow slid off the roof of the lean-to and landed with a shower of ice crystals at their feet.

“Where are we going for our honeymoon?” Letty asked.

“To bed,” Eulis said.

“Works for me.”

A quiet descended upon the meadow as the cabin door swung shut. Smoke from the chimney thickened as extra wood was added to the fire, but one needed warmth to a room when not wearing any clothes.

Hidden Riches

Almost a month had passed since the marrying and the burying. By Eulis’s best guess, January should be almost gone. Within a couple of months, the first signs of spring should be evident, which meant they would be leaving Letty’s Eden.

Each night as Eulis undressed for bed, he inspected the skin on his body, and each time he did, the scars from his smallpox seemed a little bit smaller and a bit less pink. With time, they would fade even more, although vanity was not something he dwelled upon. His thoughts were all mixed up with the newness of their relationship, and his responsibility to her as a husband. Here, in this hidden-away valley, it was easy to get by. Money was unnecessary if you were willing to live on nothing but meat, and dress like an Indian. But the clothes on their backs were wearing out, and come spring, there was a strong possibility that they would be forced to wear buckskin back into Denver City. Although he kept his beard cut short, he’d let his hair grow long. Although it was nowhere near as long as Letty’s, it still hung down his back. The only time she wore it down was when she intended to wash it, and only until it